After listening to Black Swan's report, Kriolyov remained silent for a long time.
"…That is the message that man left for me?"
"Yes. He made it very clear. Whether he says it is his business. Whether I pass it on is mine. Whether you listen is yours."
Black Swan nodded slightly.
"I understand. You may leave."
Kriolyov let out a long sigh and waved his hand. Black Swan bowed and turned to leave. Kriolyov, meanwhile, turned his gaze toward the outside of the tent, a trace of pain surfacing in his eyes.
Avoiding it… is that it?
As Herman's most prestigious general, Kriolyov naturally understood what was wrong with this country. After the former king died, the struggle over succession between Princess Sheila and Prince Barton had never ceased. At the time, he had remained silent. But deep down, he had hoped Prince Barton would grow into a qualified king.
What he had never expected was that, unable to bear the pressure, Prince Barton would choose to collude with the demon race and attack Lisas—only to suffer defeat and die in battle.
With that, Princess Sheila had naturally ascended to the throne—
And become a puppet for those people.
He still remembered meeting them in their childhood. Back then, they had both been such lovely children. But fate played cruel tricks. No one could have foreseen things ending like this. To be honest, Kriolyov himself did not know whether he should act. He knew certain secrets of the royal family. He knew that Queen Mother Pamela and Chancellor Stisser had an ambiguous relationship. But as a soldier, he believed he should not interfere in political affairs.
To him, that would be overstepping his bounds.
But Duanmu Huai had told him he was merely avoiding it.
Perhaps that man was right. He had been turning a blind eye all along, obeying the Council's orders like a puppet, perhaps subconsciously trying to ignore the truth. But… was that really acceptable?
Was that not a betrayal of the late king's expectations?
Was Herman destined to walk toward destruction?
Once, Kriolyov had believed that he should perish alongside the old Herman, serving as its final funeral offering.
But now…
"Hm?"
Just as he was wavering internally, a commotion erupted outside the tent. Kriolyov frowned. At that moment, his adjutant Karl stepped inside.
"Report, sir—the Second Army has arrived!"
"So soon?"
Kriolyov was somewhat surprised.
"Who is leading them? General Aritres?"
"No, it's—"
"It's me."
Before Karl could finish, someone strode into the tent. A short, plump man with blond hair and glasses, his face stretched into a sly grin as he stared at Kriolyov.
"Greetings, General Kriolyov. Combat, adjutant of the Second Army, reporting with reinforcements. Oh, and here is the Council's latest directive."
The Council's latest directive?
Kriolyov's expression darkened. He took the letter from Combat and read it carefully. Then he fell silent.
"…Sir?"
Sensing something ominous in that silence, Karl hurriedly asked. But Combat answered for him with smug satisfaction.
"According to the Council's orders, I will serve as supreme commander of this joint force from now on. You have no objections, do you, General Kriolyov?"
"What?!"
Karl stared at Combat in disbelief. He could not imagine the Council issuing such an order.
After all, Combat was merely an adjutant, not a general. Even if they were replacing command, it should have been one of the generals from the Second or Fifth Army. How could an adjutant of the Second Army be appointed commander of the entire coalition?
But when politics entered the equation, logic changed.
Karl knew well that Kriolyov and the Council had never gotten along. After several consecutive failures, the Council clearly no longer trusted him. Though Combat was only an adjutant, his arrogant demeanor suggested he had made some private arrangement with the Council. Thinking about it, among the First, Second, and Fifth Armies, none of the generals had good relations with the Council. Only this Second Army adjutant was known as an opportunist, someone who liked currying favor. If he had colluded with the Council, it was not impossible.
"The Council is very dissatisfied with the First Army's results."
As expected, Combat grew even more smug.
"They have ordered us to capture the target alive at all costs. Yet your First Army, forty thousand strong, failed to take even a mere Fortress Boen. The Council is deeply disappointed. Therefore, Chancellor Stisser has ordered me to command both the First and Second Armies. We must capture Fortress Boen before the enemy's steel giant arrives!"
At this point, Combat clenched his fist excitedly.
"This time, I will personally command the assault!"
To be blunt, Combat did have grounds to look down on Kriolyov.
Yes, the First Legion was Herman's elite force. But in terms of combat experience, the Second Legion—fighting demons on the border year-round—was far more seasoned. For the Second Legion, as long as victory was achieved, any means were acceptable. This was precisely why Combat disdained Kriolyov. He believed the old general was too stubborn. In this era, no one cared about knightly honor or rules of engagement anymore. Winning was all that mattered!
Early the next morning, Combat eagerly launched another assault on Fortress Boen.
This time, the one who stepped forward was—
"It's time for you to witness the brilliance of the genius Elsa!"
Standing atop the wall, facing the advancing army, the blonde girl in luxurious noble attire showed not the slightest hesitation.
"To witness the magic of Lady Elsa is a blessing earned over many lifetimes—now, let us begin!"
As she spoke, Elsa reached into her backpack and produced a crystal chessboard, which floated into the air. She brushed her hand across it—
And massive chess pieces fell from the sky, slamming down before the Herman army, forming a battle formation like assembled troops!
"Forward, Fantastical Soldiers!!"
At Elsa's command, the towering soldier chess pieces—each nearly as tall as the fortress wall and wielding swords—began hopping forward, launching their attack!
"What the hell are these things?!"
Combat was shocked, but quickly regained composure.
"Attack! Smash those pieces to bits!"
At his order, Herman's soldiers drew their swords and charged. The two sides clashed. The chess soldiers raised their blades high and swung them down, sweeping across the battlefield. Wherever they struck, Herman soldiers were sent flying, screaming as they were hurled backward.
But when the Herman soldiers attempted to retaliate, their vision blurred—
And fortress-like chess pieces suddenly stood before them like walking bastions.
"Protect my soldiers, Fantastical Castles!"
Taking another step forward, Elsa raised her hand.
"Summon the troops, Mysterious Queen!"
"——————!"
At her command, a scepter-bearing chess piece in the rear lifted its staff. More Fantastical Soldier pieces descended from the sky, landing and immediately charging into battle!
"Don't stop! Smash them! Crush those damned pieces!!"
Combat raged furiously. Fortunately, though powerful, the chess pieces were limited in number. After sacrificing several hundred men, the Herman army finally destroyed most of them.
"Bang!!"
With the final chess piece collapsing and shattering, the obstacle seemed cleared. Combat's eyes turned bloodshot—victory was within reach.
"Good! Charge—!!!"
"How foolish."
Watching the Herman soldiers rush forward again, Elsa giggled.
"My strategy is flawless! You are no match! Ultimate King who reigns over the chessboard—descend and claim victory!"
"BOOM!!!!"
At her call, a colossal king chess piece—taller even than Fortress Boen and crowned—crashed down before the Herman army. Behind it, dozens of soldier and knight pieces descended as well, rejoining the battlefield.
How could this be?
Staring at the even greater number of chess soldiers, the Herman troops and Combat alike were stunned. They had never imagined such bizarre and terrifying magic. Even the battle-hardened Second Legion had struggled immensely and suffered heavy losses just to eliminate the previous pieces.
And now…
That had merely been the prelude?
"With this, it's checkmate!"
Looking at the pale-faced Herman soldiers, Elsa triumphantly raised her hand.
"Prepare to accept your final, crushing defeat! Before this genius young lady, you have not the slightest chance of escape!"
(End of Chapter)